Strawberry plant named &#39;Alice&#39;

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘Alice’ (a.k.a. ‘109180’).

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to, and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/501,253, filed on May 4, 2017, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Latin name of the genus and species: Fragaria x ananassa.

Varietal denomination: ‘Alice’ (a.k.a. ‘109180’).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to new and distinct strawberry plant designated as ‘Alice’ (a.k.a. ‘109180’).

‘Alice’ (a.k.a. ‘109180’) is the result of a controlled-cross between a female parent cultivar designated 105218 and a male parent cultivar designated 102850 made by the Inventor and was first fruited in Watsonville, Calif. growing fields. Following selection and during testing, the plant was originally designated ‘109180’ and subsequently named ‘Alice’. ‘Alice’ is a day-neutral plant.

This new strawberry plants was asexually reproduced via runners (stolons) by the inventor at Watsonville, Calif. Asexual propagules from the original source have been tested in Watsonville growing fields and to a limited extent, grower fields in high elevation. The properties of this plant were found to be transmissible by such asexual reproduction. The plant is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to new and distinctive strawberry plant designated as ‘Alice’ (a.k.a. ‘109180’). The plant is primarily adapted to the climate and growing conditions of the central coast of California. This region provides the necessary temperatures required for it to produce a strong vigorous plant and to remain in fruit production from March through October. The nearby Pacific Ocean provides the needed humidity and moderate day temperatures and evening chilling to maintain fruit quality for the production months.

The following traits and photographs in combination distinguish strawberry plant ‘Alice’ from known strawberry plants. Plants for the botanical measurements in the present application were grown as annuals. Any color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

TABLE 1 Characteristic Description General Plant Habit Perennial Plant Growth Habit Upright Day Length Day Neutral Height (cm)  34 Width (cm)  35 Density of foliage low Plant vigor moderate Leaf Terminal leaflet width (mm)  93 Terminal leaflet length (mm)  86 No. teeth/terminal leaflet  24 Shape of the terminal leaflet base acute Shape of terminal leaflet in cross-section concave Margin description of the terminal serrate to crenate Color of upper side of leaves 137A Color of lower side of leaves 139C Leaf blistering absent Leaf glossiness medium Limbs Petiole length (cm)  20 Petiole diameter (mm)   4.8 Petiole color 145A Petiolule length (cm)   0.95 Petiolule diameter (mm)   3.83 Stipule length (cm)   4 Stipule width (mm)   1.4 Stipule anthocyanin present Stipule color (color code) 145C Pedicel color (color code) 145A Attitude of hairs on upwards petiole and pedicel Inflorescence Inflorescence position relative to foliage above flower arrangement of petals free Petal length (cm)   1 Petal width (cm)   1.1 Petal number per flower 5 to 6 Upper Petal color 155C Lower Petal color 155D peduncle size medium Calyx diameter (cm)   3.7 Corolla diameter (cm)   2.6 Sepal length (cm)   1.3 Sepal width (cm)   0.5 Time of flowering March (50% of plants in bloom) Shape of stigma capitate Color of stigma 172A Length of style (mm)   1.12 COlor of style 6A Color of the ovary 145B Length of the stamens (mm)   4.6 Number of stamen  26 Shape of anther dorsifixed Size of anther medium Color of anther 12A Amount of pollen moderate to high COlor of pollen 22A Color of filament 149D Length of filament (mmm)   2.73 Number of flower per truss 4 to 6 Stolon Stolon n umber 3 to 11 Stolon anthocyanin 181A Widest diameter of stolon   3.3 At leaf attachment (mm) Stolon color 145A Fruit Number of fruit per truss 3 to 5 Fruit length (cm)   4.7 Fruit width (cm)   4.1 Fruit skin color 45A Fruit fresh color excluding core 41A Fruit core color 49A Fruit weight (g)  28 Predominant fruit shape long conic to long wedge Shape difference between primary & No shape secondary fruits difference Width of band without of achenes medium Fruit glossiness medium Position of achenes even Achene color 149A Achenes per fruit  308 Achene weight (g)   0.22 Position of calyx inserted Level of adherence of calyx strong Color of calyx 137C Firmness of flesh firm Evenness of flesh color nearly even Sweetness   8 pH   3.46 Yield (grams per plant per season) 2206

‘Alice’ is distinguished from its paternal parent by its larger fruit size, greater ease of harvest, and its presentation of shorter and thicker petioles. ‘Alice’ is distinguished from its maternal parent by its larger fruit size, greater yield volume, and longer flower stems. ‘Alice’ is similar to the UC Davis variety ‘Monterey’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,767), but possesses several distinguishing traits from Monterey. ‘Alice’ is distinguished from ‘Monterey’ by its greater ease of harvest, smaller plant size, and higher berry yield per plant. ‘Alice’ presents shorter and thicker petioles than ‘Monterey’. ‘Alice’ has a lower cull rate than ‘Monterey’ and both of its parents. ‘Albion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,228) is a commercial strawberry variety that is similar to, but distinguished from ‘Alice’. The fruit yield of ‘Alice’ exceeds the yield of ‘Albion’ in multiple annual testing cycles performed at the breeders test location in Watsonville Calif.

In addition, ‘Alice’ scored better than it's parents for percent marketable fruit of the sum of all fruit produced in Watsonville Calif. test plots. Compared to its parents, ‘Alice’ was observed to withstand adverse post harvest ambient temperatures over several days, demonstrating a putative longer shelf life as well as less susceptibility to the discoloration effect associated with bruising that occurs during the hand harvesting procedure. The fruit of each of the parents of the strawberry plant variety named ‘Alice’ was observed to be lighter in redness coloration “Alice”. One parent of ‘Alice’, a strawberry plant variety named “Victor”, was determined to be a short day variety, whereas ‘Alice’ has been determined to be a day neutral type when grown in the breeder's Watsonville Calif. test farm. The color of the foliage of ‘Victor’ is a lighter green than it's offspring ‘Alice’. ‘Victor’ produces more fruit over the fruiting season than it's offspring ‘Alice’, however ‘Alice’ produces fruit during a longer period of time than it's short-day parent ‘Victor’. The other parent of ‘Alice’, a strawberry plant variety named ‘Zaralina’ produces much less fruit than ‘Alice’, and the plant structure of ‘Zaralina’ is smaller and more compact than ‘Alice’. The strawberry plant variety named ‘Alice’ produces more stolon in the fruiting field than either of it's parents when grown in the breeder's Watsonville location.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs depict various characteristics of the cultivars as nearly true as possible to make color reproductions.

FIG. 1 shows ripe and near-ripe fruits of ‘Alice’ about 6-month old.

FIG. 2 shows ‘Alice’ plants growing in the field with multiple fruits.

FIG. 3 shows the front side of a leaf of ‘Alice’ plants.

FIG. 4 shows the back side of a leaf of ‘Alice’ plants.

FIG. 5 shows fruits of ‘Alice’ plants.

FIG. 6 shows fruits of ‘Alice’ plants cut in half. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of strawberry plant named ‘Alice’, substantially as shown and described herein. 